Started training at home. Full body or split?
Discussion
As the title goes really.
I'm facing redundancy shortly and so I have had to end my gym membership and I am going to resume training at home. Not a great loss as the gym I went to was just machines anyway.
Now I have a set of dumbells and am getting some more (mainly for the extra weight).
I tried a pull up bar but theres not enough room in the flat to hang it anywhere. I also don't have room for a bench.
So its all going to be dumbell and bodyweight training.
Now I am wondering if I am better off to do a split routine, say back+bicep day, chest+shoulder+tricep day and leg+core day or whether I'd be better off doing less overall exercises but in a full body routine which means I can train each muscle group 3x per week but obviously I wouldn't push them as hard.
I did a split routine this week and I literally can barely move, so I obviously had a pretty good session, but am unsure whether I'm better off really going for it on each muscle group and allowing a week to recover or going slightly less intensively but being able to train more often?
I'm facing redundancy shortly and so I have had to end my gym membership and I am going to resume training at home. Not a great loss as the gym I went to was just machines anyway.
Now I have a set of dumbells and am getting some more (mainly for the extra weight).
I tried a pull up bar but theres not enough room in the flat to hang it anywhere. I also don't have room for a bench.
So its all going to be dumbell and bodyweight training.
Now I am wondering if I am better off to do a split routine, say back+bicep day, chest+shoulder+tricep day and leg+core day or whether I'd be better off doing less overall exercises but in a full body routine which means I can train each muscle group 3x per week but obviously I wouldn't push them as hard.
I did a split routine this week and I literally can barely move, so I obviously had a pretty good session, but am unsure whether I'm better off really going for it on each muscle group and allowing a week to recover or going slightly less intensively but being able to train more often?
BenM77 said:
Hi mate, I train at home and do full body circuits.
IMO splits are best if you are trying to gain muscle/size so your training should be set up to your aims.
What are your training goals at the moment?
Realistically, more size. I'm not particularly skinny, but I'm not bothered about that, and I do like my beer of a weekend. So I guess I should go with splits?IMO splits are best if you are trying to gain muscle/size so your training should be set up to your aims.
What are your training goals at the moment?
Edited by BenM77 on Saturday 17th December 13:52
BenM77 said:
Give splits a go, then you can get some volume in with the exercises that you can't go heavy with 
Sorry about the redundancy mate
Cheers.Sorry about the redundancy mate
The redundancy was voluntary, but it will pay off a lot of debt, I've no mortgage or kids, and the place is going downhill, and I'm pretty confident I'll find some more work (even if contracting) so its all good
I'm justifying the car by telling myself I may need a car if I do contract work
Hoofy said:
If you can put 15-20kg on each dumbell that should keep you going for a while. For leg work, do stuff like Bulgarian squats to increase the load without having to buy more weights.
Oh, I just do it all in one go, twice a week.
Yeah I'm looking at getting some more weights for my dumbells. At the moment I'm restricted to 10 kg per dumbell.Oh, I just do it all in one go, twice a week.
TameRacingDriver said:
Yeah I'm looking at getting some more weights for my dumbells. At the moment I'm restricted to 10 kg per dumbell.
Annoying. You'll have to keep swapping between for different exercises. (Might be worthwhile getting extra bars with the new weights?) Here's the cheapest I've found; not sure if it's an error. 5kg x 4. Maybe "shipping" is £50. http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-Standard-Cast-Iron-Di...
BTW re your final question in your OP, do it all in one go and really go for it, then train it all again in 3-4 days. Depends on your goals I suppose.
Edited by Hoofy on Sunday 18th December 12:31
Hoofy said:
Annoying. You'll have to keep swapping between for different exercises. (Might be worthwhile getting extra bars with the new weights?) Here's the cheapest I've found; not sure if it's an error. 5kg x 4. Maybe "shipping" is £50.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-Standard-Cast-Iron-Di...
BTW re your final question in your OP, do it all in one go and really go for it, then train it all again in 3-4 days. Depends on your goals I suppose.
The 5kg ones are decent value but the 7.5kg ones are obscenely expensive!!http://www.amazon.co.uk/York-Standard-Cast-Iron-Di...
BTW re your final question in your OP, do it all in one go and really go for it, then train it all again in 3-4 days. Depends on your goals I suppose.
Edited by Hoofy on Sunday 18th December 12:31
With only bodyweight stuff and dumbbells a fullbody OR Push/pull approach would be best IMO. I'd strongly recommend you find somewhere to hang a pullup bar as you NEED a vertical pulling movement in any musculo-skeletally balanced weight training programme.
You effectively need 6 types of movement and I'll suggest examples:
Vertical Pull: chin/pullup
Vertical Push: Standing DB Press/one arm DB push-press
Horizontal Pull: DB Row (don't need a bench, just something to rest one hand on while standing)
Horizontal Push: Press-up, One-arm DB floor press
Lower body quad-dominant: DB split squat, Goblet squat
Lower body hip-dominant: DB stiff-leg deadlift, DB swing
I personally think its difficult to really hammer a body part without barbell work but if you up the frequency you should still get good results.
You effectively need 6 types of movement and I'll suggest examples:
Vertical Pull: chin/pullup
Vertical Push: Standing DB Press/one arm DB push-press
Horizontal Pull: DB Row (don't need a bench, just something to rest one hand on while standing)
Horizontal Push: Press-up, One-arm DB floor press
Lower body quad-dominant: DB split squat, Goblet squat
Lower body hip-dominant: DB stiff-leg deadlift, DB swing
I personally think its difficult to really hammer a body part without barbell work but if you up the frequency you should still get good results.
HonestIago said:
With only bodyweight stuff and dumbbells a fullbody OR Push/pull approach would be best IMO. I'd strongly recommend you find somewhere to hang a pullup bar as you NEED a vertical pulling movement in any musculo-skeletally balanced weight training programme.
Very much a 'poor man's' substitute (no pun on present circumstances intended!) but if a chinning bar is out you could try face up/recline pull-us/rows or whatever they are called by laying under a table, face sticking out etc (safer that way 
) and holding the edge or sides for a palms in grip and pulling up with body rigid. Does work, honest...
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